Skokie Trustee uses Public Comment to spotlight alleged corruption in village’s legal department, Mayor cautions trustee ‘to be very careful’
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After Skokie Trustee James Johnson walked off the dais at a village board meeting Jan. 16 to make a public comment accusing the Village Board of political hiring or patronage in the village’s legal department, Mayor George Van Dusen cautioned him.
Johnson previously walked out of the Village Board meeting on Jan. 2 when the board voted on a routine ordinance that gave raises to village officials, including Corporation Counsel Michael Lorge and Assistant Corporation Counsel James McCarthy, whom Johnson alleged bribed and threatened him when he ran for village trustee. Johnson’s four complaints to the ethics commission have been dismissed.
Mayor George Van Dusen cautioned Johnson “to be very careful” in not using the platform of a Village Board meeting to make a “campaign appearance.” Johnson publicly announced he would apply for the village clerk position when the outgoing clerk, Pramod Shah, announced his retirement in November.
When Johnson ran for village trustee, McCarthy was the chair of the Skokie Caucus Party, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. The Skokie Caucus Party traditionally slates candidates for the village board.
“From my perspective, there’s a simple, very effective solution,” said Johnson. “The board can update the board’s appointment process for village attorneys in our legal department in our village code.”
Van Dusen said the Village Board had considered making the legal department nonpartisan but decided to remain with the system. “You want people in office who agree with your policy, and part of that is having people in the legal department who agree with that policy,” he said.
Van Dusen said he has spoken to other village board trustees since Johnson walked out of the Jan. 2 meeting, calling it “childish behavior.”
“There’s a debate, and there’s a vote,” said Van Dusen, “There’s no excuse for getting up and walking out, and then you decide, ‘Well, that didn’t go so well, so now I’m gonna vacate my position as trustee’ and pretend you’re a private citizen. You’re not. You are an elected official,” he said.
